The Dunedin City Council is rolling out initiatives for businesses in conjunction with infrastructure upgrades in the central city over the next 18 months.

Central City Plan Project Director Dr Glen Hazelton says two exciting initiatives are about to get underway, which will help central city businesses respond to the challenges of the construction period as well as broader changes in the retail and business landscape.

“These initiatives are the first in a series of measures that could help businesses reduce some of the impacts of the construction period, but also to provide access to new tools to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by technology, the pandemic and changes in the way people shop and use the central city,” Dr Hazelton says.

The first initiative is a series of workshops run by The Big Company, which aim to help upskill businesses in the digital space. The workshops will be free for central city businesses to attend and include sessions on website development, social media management, and database marketing.

The second initiative is a partnership with Business South to offer business mentoring and capability building for local retailers.

“This initiative will support Dunedin’s retail businesses to prosper as they manage the dual challenges of increased construction activity in the city and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Mike Collins, Business South Chief Executive.

“We are keen to assist the DCC, and in doing so we will help the business community foster a thriving business environment as we experience changes in the city and in the sector.”

Dr Hazelton says a range of project communications activities are also planned under a campaign called ‘Totally Georgeous’. These include signage and wayfinding to help the public understand traffic and pedestrian access, marketing support for local businesses during construction, and the development of a project space where the public can learn more about the project.

Any businesses interested in attending the workshops, taking up the mentoring opportunity, or with any other questions about the project, can email totally-georgeous@dcc.govt.nz.

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